NATURE’S DYNAMOS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16768, 29 June 1925, Page 12

NATURE’S DYNAMOS.

I'LAN TO USK VOLCANOES

ROWER- UKX K!!ATION SCIIHMIi

SAX FRANCISCO. June 15—Tbe means of making vbicunoes serviuea’ble to Immunity, instead of mere objects, of interest, will be dismissed at the eighth annual convention here of the National Electric Light Association. Five thousand delegates will attend. Mr J. W. Lieb, a leading American electrical ;ind mechanical engineer, vicepresident of the New York Edison' Company. who is submitting the subject, declares that 5000 horse-power has already been generated at Lardello, near Florence, Italy, as a result of tapping volcanic heat by sinking shafts. It was Mr LieJ> who installed the mechanical equipment and dynamos lor the Edison underground system at Milan. Later Iky installed the trolley system in Milan, and returned to America in 1894. For .his work in' Milam, Mr Leib was decorated by tho King of Italy. The idea of adapting volcanic energy to industrial purposes is not new, but apparently the sinking of shafts at Lardello marks the first occasion on which a practical experiment has been made. Professor Sir Edgeworth David, of Sydney, commenting on the above cable message, said that probably the shafts would connect with geysers, or the iourcos of. hot wells, enabling the steam no, be utilised. In any case, if n geyser was not tapped, water 'Would probably be used as tile simplest means of transforming volcanic beat into power. Hitherto, however, the only actual use ho personally had known to be made of volcanic heat was by the Maoris, who used the hot springs of New Zealand for cooking. No large quantity of water, however, could Am drawn from the New Zealand geysers without running, the risk of explosion. With regard to the potential source of energy in the volcanic region of Nc\y Zealand, it may he mentioned that some engineers consider that if the steam power of one of the vents .near Wnirakei could be harnessed it would he sufficient to drive all t)ie.machinery in the .North Island.